A night of near-misses in South Yorkshire

Liverpool's under-21s remain without a regulation-time win in the EFL Trophy after falling to defeat against League One side Doncaster Rovers on Tuesday evening. It was a frustrating night rather than a damaging one, Rob Page's side dominated long stretches of the match and were unfortunate not to take something from it, only to be denied by an inspired performance from the Rovers goalkeeper and their own decision-making in the final third.

The goal that settled it arrived on the stroke of half-time, a moment Page described as naive, and it proved enough. In the second half, following a tactical reshaping that brought an extra body into midfield, Liverpool pressed relentlessly but could not find a way through. Will Wright went closest in the first half with an audacious 35-yard lob that beat Josh Clarke only to rattle the underside of the crossbar and bounce clear.

"I don't think we deserved to lose the game," Page said afterwards. "Their keeper has made two world-class saves and in the second half we have created chance after chance. The change of shape definitely helped us and I thought we were a constant threat in the second half."

What Page said about Will Wright's moment of ambition

Wright led the line alone on the night, and it was that audacious lob, the kind of attempt most forwards would not even consider, that drew the warmest words from his manager. Page was clearly encouraged not just by the execution but by the instinct behind it.

"That's the place he is in at the moment," said Page. "He is full of confidence and to even consider taking on that opportunity is something."

Also catching the eye were Luke Chambers and James McConnell, the two players down from the first team, with Page singling both out for praise after half-time. "The two boys from the first team, Chambo and Macca, were excellent second half," he said.

Why Danns was missing, and when he could return

Jayden Danns, who had started alongside Wright in the previous EFL Trophy outing at Rochdale, was absent on Tuesday. Page moved quickly to reassure supporters that the absence was precautionary rather than a cause for concern.

"He pulled up in training last week and felt something and wasn't quite comfortable," the head coach explained. "So we're not going to take any chances, there's no need at all. He is all right, he has been training but we didn't think it was a risk we wanted to take. He's fit, and we thought it was better for him to have two training days rather than half-an-hour or 45 minutes in this game."

The defeat means Liverpool now need to beat Group B leaders Huddersfield next month to keep their qualification hopes alive, a tough ask, given Huddersfield put five past Rochdale on the same evening. But with Danns expected to be available and Page showing he is not afraid to adjust his shape mid-match, the Reds will head into that one with something to play for.